8/14/2019 Planetary Investigation

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Name:______________________ Section: _____ Mr. Kinneys Science Class

Ronald Edmonds Learning Center (K113) Planetary Research Project

Introduction

So far, weve explored how the Earth, Moon, and Sun interact with each other to create

seasons, eclipses, rotations, and revolutions. Now, its time to explore the rest of the Solar

System. There are 7 other planets and 3 dwarf planetsmany with their own moons. Your

mission will be to investigate one of these other bodies and present your findings to yourcolleagues.

Research

After youve drawn a card and you know what planet you will be researching, its time to

hit the books. Here are some examples of basic information that youll want to knowabout your planet.

Name of the planet

Its diameter or size

Its distance from the Sun

Length of its year (orbital

revolution)

Length of its day (rotation)

Its moons (if it has any)

What is the planet made of?

Have we ever explored this

planet? If not, why?

Would it be difficult for us to liveon this planet? Why or why not?

A description of the planet.

Is there anything that sets this

planet apart from other planets?

There are a number of books at your disposal in the classroom. Some of the books may

contain different information. If that happens, check the copyright date on one of the firstfew pages of the book. Choose the most recent book. The list above is the very basics.

The more detailed your research is, the higher your grade will be.

End product

After youve conducted your research, you need to create two products: a written pieceand a poster. You will be presenting your findings to the class.

The written piece

Your written piece should be five paragraphs in length. Your paper should include all ofthe research that youve conducted. The first paragraph should be an introduction to your

planet and include its name, distance from the sun, and a brief description of what it looks

like. Your second paragraph should include a description of what the planet is made up

of, the length of its day, and of its year. The third paragraph should include any features

that separate it from other planets and a description of its moons. Your fourth and fifthparagraphs should include any previous exploratory missions to this planet and whether

or not a human station on this planet would succeed.

The visual piece

Each research team should create a oak tag poster including all of the information needed

in the written piece plus visual representations of the planet itself.